Here’s our weekly look at our Mid-Season Top 10 Prospects as presented to you by Matt Musico of Mets Minors.net. Each week we summarize how each player as performed and update their status for the week. If you love the Mets Minors and still haven’t checked them out yet, maybe now’s the time.

I’m not sure if “hot” is the right way to categorize the way Noah Syndergaard has been performing of late. With a shutdown possibly looming due to an innings limit, the Mets have decided to monitor his innings so he can hopefully continue pitching for Binghamton into the Eastern League playoffs. He’s been limited to just five innings of work in his last three starts, but has shut out the opposition each time. His last start came on August 16th against New Britain; he allowed three hits, no walks, and 10 strikeouts in five innings. In 10 Double-A starts, he’s now 6-0 with a 1.59 ERA, allowing just 10 walks against 64 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched.

Montero’s last start wasn’t like his last four, but he still pitched pretty well. On August 20th against Salt Lake, he allowed two runs on eight hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in five innings pitched. He’s also getting close to an innings limit, and will be on 90-pitch limits through the rest of the season. After a bumpy start in Triple-A, Montero has settled in nicely with the 51s. He’s now 5-3 with a 3.27 ERA in 14 starts. In four August starts, he’s 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA, four walks, and 24 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched.

3. Travis d’Arnaud, C

Status: Warming up

It took Travis until the last at-bat in his fourth MLB game to get his first hit, but now that he’s broken through the seal, I think he’s about to get hot. He put a sweet swing on a pitch against Atlanta in the eighth inning on August 20th for a line drive double. D’Arnaud is only hitting .091 through his first 11 at-bats, but he’s drawn six walks since being promoted, giving him a .412 on-base percentage. He’ll be taking most of the playing time down the stretch, with John Buckbeing the backup.

Sidelined for a few days with an ankle injury, Flores has re-entered the lineup and has continued producing at the rate he was before his minor injury. He’s been holding his own so far against major league pitching. He’s had three multi-hit games in his last 10 appearances, and is hitting .286 over that span of time. On the season in the big leagues, Flores is hitting .261/.300/.391 with one home run and 11 RBIs.

Puello’s received a 50-game suspension this week for his involvement in the Biogenesis clinic. Thankfully, these 50 games can all be applied to this season since he’s on the 40-man roster. The outfielder was enjoying a breakout season in Binghamton, hitting .328/.405/.550 with 16 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases.

Smith continues to impress at the plate even though he’s only 18-years-old and getting his first taste of professional baseball. He’s currently on a nine game hitting streak, which includes three multi-hit games. He’s hitting .395/.452/.526 over his last ten games, including three walks and six strikeouts. His .345 August batting average has helped raise his season numbers to .280/.380/.400.

It looks like months that start with the letter “A” are the ones Nimmo likes the most. He’s enjoying his best month since April, hitting at a .382 clip. He’s hitting .414 over his last 10 games, and has registered a hit in five of his last seven games (four multi-hit performances). I think it’s clear his hand and back injuries truly hindered his performance throughout the middle of the season. Now that he’s back to full strength, he’s been a wrecking machine. He’s now hitting .282/.401/.372 for the season.

Fulmer took the mound on August 18th against Jupiter, but his outing was cut short at 3.1 innings because of a comebacker hitting him. He’s been diagnosed with biceps tendonitis, but was heading to New York to get himself checked out. In seven starts and 34 innings pitched for St. Lucie this season, Fulmer is 2-2 with a 3.44 ERA, 18 walks, 29 strikeouts, and .198 opponent batting average.

Cecchini has cooled off since his 16-game hitting streak was snapped, and it wasn’t expected for him to continue tearing up opposing pitchers at the rate he was. He was 0-for-11 after the streak ended before getting in the hit column last night for the first time since August 18th. He’s enjoyed his best month of the season, hitting .351. He’s raised his season marks to .285/.317/.331 with seven doubles and 11 RBIs.

The left-handed reliever appeared in two games this week; one didn’t go very well, and the other one did, leading to his neutral status. He threw 3.2 total innings this week, allowing four runs on four hits, four walks, and four strikeouts. While his strikeout numbers are still high (44 Ks in 27 IP), he’s almost walking a batter an inning (25 BBs in AAA). He’ll need to get his walks under control before making the next step.

I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction and interact with other passionate Met fans like you. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.

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